Barrel-closer.



No. 763,172. PATENTBD JUNE 21, 1904. H. L. FLANIOK.

BARREL CLOSER.

APPLICATION IILIID MAR 23. 1904.

N0 MODEL Yfilizeases UNITE STATES latented June 21, 19o4.

PATENT Orricn.

BARREL-CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part 01 Letters Patent No. 763,172, dated June 21,1904.

Application filed March 23, 1904.

To all lull/077% it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY L. FLANICK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Burgettstown, in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Barrel-Closers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to vent-closers for barrels, and more particularly to that class of vent-closers which are adapted to be used on the heads of barrels for closing the openings in which the spigot or faucet is placed.

The object of this invention is to provide a vent-closer which can be secured adjacent to the opening in the end or head of a barrel and to provide means for normally holding the closer in engagement with the end or head of the barrel over the said opening in order to prevent insects, dirt, or other undesirable objects or substances from entering the barrel.

This invention is particularly applicable to barrels which are used to contain spirituous or malt liquors, and my improved vent-closer is so constructed and arranged that when in position over the spigot-hole in the head or end of the barrel a government stamp may be placed on the barrel over the closer, so that the closer cannot be opened without destroying the stamp.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of part of a barrel, showing my improved vent-closer in position on the head thereof. Fig. 2 is an end view of the barrel shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the head of a barrel, showing the spigot-opening and a reccss surrounding said opening and adapted to receive my improved closer. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the vent-closer detached from the barrel, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a spring by means of which the closer is actuated.

In carrying my invention into eifect I preferably apply the vent-closer to the spigothole, although it may be applied to any other opening in the barrelas, for instance, to the bung-hole thereof.

Heretofore after a barrel has been emptied Serial No. 199,543. (No model.)

it has been customary to leave the spigot-hole unclosed, thus permitting the entrance into the barrel of dirt, insects, and other deleterious objects, necessitating careful washing of the barrel before reuse and in some instances altogether unfitting the barrel for such reuse.

A novel feature of my improved vent-closer resides in the fact that the vent-closer and the head of the barrel are so constructed that the government stamp which is used on liquorbarrels may be appliedto the spigot-opening over the vent-closer, so that in order to open the vent-closer prior to inserting a spigot in the barrel the stamp will necessarily be destroyed.

In the drawings, 1 designates a barrel of the ordinary construction and having a head 2, in which is located the spigot-hole 3, into which the spigot is driven when the barrel is tapped. Adjacent to the opening 3 I cut an annular recess 4, which communicates with a substantially rectangular recess 5 at one side and with a notch 6 at the other side of said opening 3. The closer is composed of a plate 7, shaped-to fit the recess 5 and pierced at 8 8 for the passage of screws or nails 9 9, by means of which the plate is held in position in the recess. A door 10 is hinged to the plate '7 by means of a pintle 11, and a spiral springlEZ has two projecting ends 13 14:, one of which bears upon plate 7, while the other bears upon the door 10, the spiral portion of the spring surrounding the pintle 11, as shown.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings a stamp 15 is shown, which is pasted on the head of the barrel over the door 10, so that the door cannot be opened without destroying the stamp. The notch 6 at the side of the annularrecess 4 affords a convenient means of opening thetied, the spigot is removed and the door 10 for securing said plate in said recess, a door hinged to said plate and shaped to lit in the recess surrounding the opening in the head, and sealing said opening When in alinement with said plate, and a spring exerting its tension against the door to hold the same closed over the opening in the head when said openin g is unobstructed, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY L. FLANIOK. \Vitnesses:

ALBERT A. MOFARLAND, D. M. PRY. 

